Strong Shapes Slides
Strong Shapes Safari
Finding the strongest shapes in the world!
DETECT
BUILD
STRENGTH
The Shape Mystery
Eiffel Tower
The Great Pyramids
Transamerica Pyramid
What shape do all these giant buildings share?
Engineering Secrets
Watch from 3:23
Embedded media
Engineers Talk
Stable
When something is steady and doesn't wobble or fall over.
Base
The bottom of a building that holds up everything on top.
Pyramid
A shape with a wide base that gets narrow at the top.
The Human Base
Step 1
Stand on ONE foot!
Are you wobbly?
Step 2
Stand on TWO feet!
Do you feel stable?
A wide base helps us stay steady!
Shape Detectives
We are going on a hunt! Every time you see a triangle holding something up, make a triangle with your hands!
1. SPOT IT
2. SIGNAL IT
3. LOG IT
Can you find the triangles?
Bridge Check:
Engineers use many small triangles together. This is called a truss.
Show your hands!
Triangles at the Fair!
Look at the Spokes:
A Ferris wheel is just one big circle filled with skinny triangles!
Find the center!
Engineer's Lab
Time to use your tools! Can you build a shape that stays strong when you push it?
The Square
VS
The Triangle
Shape Detective Worksheet
Shape Detective Log
Structural Engineering Mission
Name:
Date:
Mission 1: I Spied a Triangle!
Draw 4 things you found that use triangles to stay strong. Look at bridges, roofs, or playgrounds!
Where I found it
Where I found it
Where I found it
Where I found it
Mission 2: The Squish Test
1. Build Them
Use pipe cleaners or straws to build a Triangle and a Square.
2. Test Them
Gently push down on the top of each shape. Which one stayed in its shape best?
Circle the Winner
Triangle
Square
3. My Discovery
Finish this sentence:
The was harder to squish because it is .
Strong Shapes Teacher Guide
Teacher Facilitation Guide
Strong Shapes Safari
Grades K-2 • Engineering & Geometry • 45 Minutes
Objective
Students will identify triangles and pyramids as stable shapes in engineering and demonstrate their strength through hands-on testing.
Materials
- Strong Shapes Slides
- Shape Detective Worksheet
- 12 pipe cleaners per student (or straws + tape)
- Clipboard (optional for hunt)
Key Vocab
Stable
Steady, not wobbly or easy to knock down.
Base
The bottom part that holds everything up.
Truss
A structure made of many triangles (Bridge context).
1
The Mystery Hook (5 min)
Display the "Shape Mystery" slide. Ask students to talk to a partner: "What do these buildings have in common?"
Guiding Question: "Why are they so skinny at the top but so big at the bottom? What would happen if they were upside down?"
2
The Science of Stacking (10 min)
Play the video from 3:23. If time permits, the segment from 2:00-2:30 is excellent for the "Body Analogy" (standing on one foot vs two feet).
"A wide base helps spread out the weight of what's on top. That's why the Transamerica building survives earthquakes!"
3
Shape Detectives (15 min)
Lead the class around the classroom, school, or use the Practice Slides. Students must perform the "Triangle Hand Signal" whenever they spot a structural triangle.
Common spots: Brackets under bookshelves, roof trusses in the gym, swing set frames, bicycle frames, or bridge photos.
Worksheet Task: Students sketch their findings in Mission 1 of the worksheet.
4
The Engineer's Lab (15 min)
Distribute pipe cleaners. Challenge students to make a triangle (3 sides) and a square (4 sides).
The "Squish Test":
- Gently push on the top point of the triangle. Does it stay a triangle? (Yes!)
- Gently push on the top side of the square. What happens? (It leans into a diamond/parallelogram).
- Conclusion: Triangles are "rigid"—they can't change shape without a side breaking or bending!
For Quick Builders
Challenge them to turn their square into two triangles by adding one pipe cleaner diagonally across the middle. Does it become stable now?
